Hump Day Happenings

It's been another busy week for me, but I am looking forward to my weekend, which should be uneventful. The next show I will be seeing is Wilco at Coveleski Field in South Bend, IN, but that's not until July 30. Tickets are still available and if you live within reasonable driving distance, I would recommend hitting up their last Midwest show of the year.

• Arcade Fire to stream Aug. 5 MSG show online
• The Smashing Pumpkins to play benefit show at Metro
• Welcome to South Dakota! GN'R to play first US show in 4 years
• Check out The Black Keys on The Tonight Show
• Ozzy Osbourn & Tony Iommi settle Black Sabbath name dispute
• Check out the Lollapalooza iPhone app

Weezer - El Scorcho

Hump Day Happenings

I am back from my blogging slumber! I had a fantastic time on my Phish trip. I saw some great shows and will have a post about my trip this week. In the meantime, I am getting back in the swing of things and have begun moving into my new place! I hope that everyone's week is going well. With that, here is some news and a video to get you over the hump day known as Wednesday.

• Arcade Fire are road testing their new songs in Europe
• Hear the Jeff Tweedy/Mavis Staples collaboration "You Are Not Alone"
• Listen to a new track from Radiohead drummer Phil Selway
• Gov't Mule will return to Negril, Jamaica for Island Exodus II
• Shakira will help close out this years World Cup
• Puscifer & Flaming Lips Steven Drozd cover Elton John's "Rocket Man"

Phish - Killing in the Name

Hump Day Happenings

It's been a pretty standard week for me and I am really excited because I have the next two days off!!!! Last night, My Morning Jacket returned to the stage at Alabama Theater in Birmingham, AL. It would have awesome to hear the "One Big Holiday" opener. Check out the setlist compliments of Hidden Track. Here is some news and a video to get your over the hump day known as Wednesday.

• Phoenix tops Billboards 10 best Coachella sets
• R.I.P. Gang Starr's Guru
• Bonnaroo gets buzzed with their very own Ben & Jerry's flavor
  
• MOG lists their 10 can-miss albums of the summer
• Chicago Tribune previews Anthony Bourdain at the Chicago Theatre
• Live Music Blog reviews Yeasayer & Sleigh Bells at the Fillmore

The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly

Hump Day Happenings

Coachella, the first big music festival of the season will go down this weekend in Indio, CA. The festival has officially sold out, which isn't surprising considering the lineup is pretty kick-ass! The organizers of both Coachella and Stagecoach took a few tips from Phish and hope to make their festivals even better. Tomorrow, I am going to see Elton John at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. It should be a fantastic show. Don't forget that SS&S is on Facebook & Twitter.

• You can listen to LCD Soundsystem's new album for free
• Conan O'Brien covers Radiohead at first tour stop
• Death Cab For Cutie perform at Mariners home opener
• Phish reveal theaters for Phish 3D Movie
• Pre-order Band of Horses new album Infinite Arms
• Modest Mouse minus Johnny Marr announce summer tour

Alice in Chains - No Excuses(Unplugged)

Hump Day Happenings

It's been one hell of a week so far, but the weekend is near! Don't forget that Wilco will offer a live webcast of their show tonight at the Capitol Center in Concord, NH. Show time is around 8 p.m. ET. You can listen to the webcast here. Here is some news and a video to get your over the Wednesday hump.

• Exploding potholes welcome Atoms of Peace to NYC
• Menomena announce new album
• Found: Earliest known Led Zeppelin recording
• Dr. Dre & Jay-Z to release new track "Under Pressure"
• Live Music Blog reviews a recent Wilco show
• Mr Miner's four Phish 3.0 songs that have fizzled a bit

Dr. Dog - Stranger

Hump Day Happenings

After putting in my request for Phish summer tour tickets last night, I headed out to Piece where I enjoyed a Dark-n-Curvy Dunkelweizen and some pizza. I am really excited for the Experience Hendrix show tomorrow night at the Chicago Theatre. Here is some news and a video to help you get over the hump day known as Wednesday.

• Mumford & Sons will play Glastonbury this year
• A 1971 Led Zeppelin bootleg turned up in an unusual place
• David Byrne + St. Vincent + brass ensemble = awesome!
• Jack White & Jay-Z have recorded a song together
• Jimmy Fallon will salute Exile on Main Street on his show
• Michael Jackson's estate signs $250 million record contract

Rolling Stones - Honky Talk Woman(Live)

Hump Day Happenings

I picked up Valleys of Neptune, which is the new Jimi Hendrix album that was released yesterday. The album sounds great and I am hoping we can get a new live Hendrix album in the near future. It makes me excited for the Experience Hendrix show in Chicago in a few weeks! I also picked up High on Fire's Snakes for the Divine, which just rocks! Here is some news to help you get through your Wednesday.

• Tom Morello is working on the score for Iron Man 2
• Everest talks to Spinner about SXSW, Wilco & Neil Young
• Help keep KEXP going
• Beastie Boys plan to release new album in September
• Check out The White Stripes new live album
• Is Google taking over the country?

Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds

Hump Day Happenings

I checked out Longman & Eagle on Monday night and had a very good meal. When it comes to beer, I am definitely and IPA guy, but recently I have discovered Belgians. Anyone have any suggestions? Here is some news and a video to get you through your Wednesday.

• The Black Keys set May release for new record
  
• Band of Horses will release new album in May
• Pavement played their first gig in more than ten years
• The Smashing Pumpkins release new song "A Stitch in Time"
• Peter Gammons article connects Derek Trucks family and baseball
• You can listen to the new Gorillaz album here

Blur - Country Sad Ballad Man(Live)

Hump Day Happenings

Did anyone get a chance to watch the Trey webcast on iClips? I dislocated my right shoulder last night at my soccer game. I hope it's nothing worse. Have a great Wednesday.

• Jim Pollock designed the label for Magic Hats Vinyl Lager
• Jeff Buckley songs for Romeo & Juliet Musical Adaptation
• 50 Cent to lose sixty-five pounds for movie role
• Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in the new Rolling Stone
• Meet the dancing guy from Nirvana's Live at Reading DVD
• You can now follow Lil Wayne on Twitter

Pearl Jam - Alive(Live)

Hump Day Happenings

Festival season is definitely in the air. Recent lineup announcements for Pitchfork, All Good, Mountain Jam and Sasquatch! have me thinking about summer. It's been a slow week, but I am pumped to see Trey at The Riv on Friday and Wilco in Madison on Saturday! I hope everyone has a good hump day.

• Aerosmith with Steven Tyler will play Download Festival
• Check out Wayne Coyne's Oklahoma City home
• Soundgarden, Arcade Fire & Green Day for Lolla?
• EMI has put Abbey Road Studios up for sale
• Krist Novoselic responds to Duff McKagan's blog post
• The National add dates to their upcoming tour

Ben Folds Five - Uncle Walter (Live)

Hump Day Happenings

I can't wait to check out the grand opening of Revolution Brewing tonight! I hope everyone's week is going well. Here is some news to get you through the rest of your Wednesday.

• Them Crooked Vultures will hit the studio this summer
• String Cheese Incident announce summer shows
• Radiohead's Phil Selway will tour Europe this spring
• John Edwards promised his mistress rooftop wedding with DMB
• Check out Coldplay on The Simpsons
• Bad Religion kick off 30th anniversary with West Coast shows

Bad Religion - Infected (Live at Rock Am Ring 2002)

Hump Day Happenings

It's only Wednesday, but it has been one hell of a week for me. Here is some news to help you get through your Wednesday.

• Merging Ticketmaster & Live Nation is a really bad idea
• Revolution Brewing will open in Chicago very soon
• LCD Soundsystem has resurfaced in the studio
• The music schedule was released for NOLA Jazz Fest
• Sigur Ros is on hiatus as Jonsi preps first solo album
• Pete Doherty must have thought bringing drugs to court is ok

My favorite Elton John records are Tumbleweed Connection & Honky Château. There is some amazing music on those records. While "Levon" isn't on either of those records, it is still a great song. Check out this video of Elton crica 1971.

Elton John - Levon (Live in 1971)

Hump Day Happenings

I hope everyone is having a good week. Here is some news to help you get over the hump! If you enjoy IPA's, you should check out Bell's Hopslam Ale. It is released in very limited supply, but if you can get your hands on it, I suggest you try it.

• Soundgarden rumored to perform at Sonisphere
• Vampire Weekend's Contra debuts at No. 1 on the charts
• Bono & Jay-Z record song for Haiti earthquake victims
• Was Paul McCartney the original bass player for TCV?
• Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Bob Dylan & Further for Bonnaroo?
• New Gorillaz song leaks online

Check out this video of Spoon performing on the Tonight Show.

Spoon - Written in Reverse

Hump Day Happenings

As the Chicagoland area braces for up to 9 inches of snow tomorrow, here is some news to help you over the Wednesday hump.

• Jeff Tweedy is producing Mavis Staples next album
• Beyonce's sister appears on the new Of Montreal record
• Wilco announce winners of haiku contest
• Lady Gaga bought a $100,000 bathtub
• Lil Wayne as the voice of Jesus in a new cartoon show. WTF?
• Peter Gabriel announces second London show

In light of the Soundgarden reunion announcement, I thought I would post this video. Enjoy!

Soundgarden - Mailman (Live 1996)

Hump Day Happenings

• Lil Wayne is having a rough week
• Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax & Megadeath for Sonisphere Festival
• The Stooges, ABBA, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff and the Hollies are headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• RATM fans display the power of Facebook
• Rolling Stone names their 100 best albums of the decade
• JamBase sits down with Animal Collective

Courtney Love has reportedly lost custody of her 17-year-old daughter Frances Bean Cobain. Kurt Cobain's mother, Wendy O'Connor and Kurt's sister, Kimberly Dawn Cobain are now the legal guardians for Frances Bean. This is actually very sad when you think about it, but let's hope Courtney hasn't fallen off the wagon for her own sake.

Hump Day Happenings

Winter is finally upon us here in Chicago. The weather the last two days has been miserable. With that being said, here is some news to help your Wednesday along.

• The Smashing Pumpkins release "A Song For A Son"
• Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi readies his new solo album Go
• Has the USPS lost their holiday spirit?
• Pavement to play Roskilde Festival
• Pearl Jam announce summer 2010 European tour
  
• Here is an update on the condition of Rivers Cuomo

Phish finished off their first fall tour in nearly a decade this past Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. The band dusted off quite a few tunes and I was particularly happy with all the bluegrass numbers that re-appeared. The folks over at Hidden Track broke down Fall 2009 tour one-timers, songs by album and covers.

Hump Day Happenings

• One of Trey Anastasio's favorite bands will co-headline the 2010 Bamboozle Music Festival
• The Flaming Lips will cover Pink Floyd's epic Dark Side of the Moon on NYE
• Markus Dravs will produce the next Arcade Fire record
• Photographer Paul LaRaia released a book documenting Levon Helm's Midnight Rambles
• Gene Ween has lined up some solo dates for early next year
• Wilco just keeps adding dates to their never ending world tour

Happy Birthday to Phish! Today marks the 26th anniversary of the bands first ever gig. Tonight the band will play the first of three sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC. A group of fans on Phantasy Tour and Phish.net are organizing a sing along before the first set when the lights go out. Scotty B over at Hidden Track breaks down all the venues the band has played in NYC. It's amazing to point out that the band first played NYC in 1988, and it only took them 6 years before they were playing MSG.

Hump Day Happenings

• The fourth volume of The Bridge School Collection will feature MMJ, Trent Reznor, and Tom Waits among others
• Gathering of the Vibes will return to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT
• Live Nation and iTunes have joined forces to sell live digital downloads
• British singing sensation Susan Boyle is blowing up the charts
• Another best of the decade list from Paste
• Erza Furman & the Harpoons will write and record a song especially for you

On Friday morning, I will hop on a plane to Albany, NY and catch both Phish shows this weekend. I caught their second show in Cincinnati this past weekend and had an absolute blast. With five shows already in the book, Phish is on fire and continues to blow minds on a nightly basis. This Saturday will mark my 25th Phish show. I will have a review of both shows posted early next week.

Hump Day Happenings

• Paul McCartney turned down an offer to work with Ozzy Osbourne
• Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer weighs in on the the Steven Tyler drama
• If you live in New York and are looking for a job, Pitchfork.tv are looking for interns
• Slayer, Megadeath, and Testament join forces for American Carnage tour
• The Mimi Fishman Foundation announced a new auction
• My Morning Jacket will appear on this Sunday's American Dad

Phish begins their fall tour tonight at Cobo Arena in Detroit. It marks the bands first appearance in the Detroit since the band played St. Andrew's Hall on May 6, 1992. If you can't make it to any of the shows, there won't be a lack of coverage. Several websites will offer comprehensive coverage of all the shows.

Websites:
Hidden Track Blog
Live Music Blog
Coventry Phish Blog
Mr. Miner's Phish Thoughts

Twitter:
@yemblog
@phish

Hump Day Happenings

• Pitchfork and I actually agree on something!
• Lil Wayne documentary gets straight-to-DVD release
• Animal Collective will release a studio EP with the first ever Grateful Dead sample
• Michael Jackson's father is being denied his $15,000 monthly allowance
• New Rammstein album banned from public display in Germany
• The Hood Internet just released The Mixtape Volume 4

Lastly, Aerosmith has been providing more drama than an episode of Gossip Girl. It appears that Aerosmith may have solved their issues for the time being. Steven Tyler made a surprise visit at a Joe Perry solo gig last night in New York City. Joe Perry also took to his Twitter page to dispel rumors of Aerosmith breaking up. It would have been a shame if the band would hired a new singer and continued under the Aerosmith name.